The Conservative government will go to Parliament to ask for more power to deal with the Canadian assets of the family of the former Tunisian dictator, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday.

During Tuesday's question period, Harper said the government currently doesn't have the authority to freeze the assets of the family of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, but plans to go to the House of Commons and Senate to request it.

"This government does not defend the Ben Ali regime," Harper said in response to a question by Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe.

"We do not have the international sanctions necessary as we have in the case of Libya. I urge the leader of the Bloc Québécois to speak with our lawyers to explain the situation because we are seeking ways to increase our authority and we will ask Parliament to give the government more authority to freeze the assets of this former regime."

Duceppe, however, said that's just an excuse. He said there's been plenty of time to move on a freeze, which he said is different from seizing assets and follows a different process.

Duceppe asked why it was possible to freeze the assets of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, pointing out the Libyan government wouldn't have made a formal request.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Harper's statement comes a little late, but the Liberals are ready to act when they see the proposed changes.

"I'm not sure what the legal problems are that a bill would correct, but we're ready to act," Ignatieff said. But he also questioned why the government was able to act more quickly in the case of Libya.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the difference is the UN resolution to freeze the assets of the current Libyan regime.

"That is covered by the United Nations resolution and there are provisions on that," Nicholson said.

"It's not the same situation in Tunisia, but that being said we believe there are gaps in the laws of this country and we are prepared to introduce legislation to fill those gaps."

The Bloc has been demanding for weeks that the government freeze the assets of Ben Ali's family, particularly for his brother-in-law Belhassen Trabelsi, who fled to Montreal after January's Tunisian uprising.

A spokeswoman for Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said last month that Canada is working with the Tunisian government on the issue.

"We have communicated to the Tunisian government clearly, and on several occasions, the specific information necessary for Canada to freeze any assets in Canada," Pamela Stephens wrote in an email.

"The government of Tunisia has not yet responded to our request. We remain committed to working co-operatively to bring justice for the people of Tunisia."

The Bloc said it has proof that a request has already been made, pointing to comments from Mouldi Sakri, Tunisia's ambassador to Canada.

Sakri said he forwarded to Ottawa a request from Tunisian authorities to freeze assets, along with another request to extradite Trabelsi.