Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe says he's going to push the federal government for greater recognition of the French language when Parliament reconvenes later in October.

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe speaks to reporters after his speech at the Université de Montreal on Wednesday.
(Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Duceppe told a student audience in Montreal Wednesday he wants the Official Languages Act amended to recognize French as Quebec's official language.

He said he also wants Parliament to amend the federal labour code to acknowledge French as the official language of work in Quebec.

The Bloc chief says the federal government has recognized Quebecers as a nation and now must act in accordance with that.

He said Quebec's Charter of the French Language, commonly known as Bill 101, must be recognized by the federal government.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government recognized the Québécois as a nation within a united Canada late last fall.

Duceppe says that recognition must be more than symbolic, and he warned that giving Quebec such recognition would have consequences.

"And one of the consequences, when we are recognized as a nation, is that the language of this nation is French," he said Wednesday.

"There is a law proclaiming the primacy of French, and at the very least the federal government that recognizes us as a nation must respect this law," Duceppe noted.

"So far the overtures by Stephen Harper to Quebec have been political marketing. He's saying the right thing. We want more than words."

Duceppe deplored the fact that big Canadian companies such as CN, the large banks and Bell Canada are not subject to the French-language charter.

The Bloc boss also challenged federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion to take a stand on the language law.

"When we table these amendments in the House of Commons to respect Bill 101, we're giving Stéphane Dion a chance to change his image in Quebec," Duceppe said. "Changing his image in Quebec will be more effective than staging variety shows."

The Bloc leader said his troops are ready for a fall election if the government is defeated on the throne speech.