The Canadian Government has defended its funding of a controversial art show which has turned its Paris cultural centre into a would-be brothel.

The "Call Girl" interactive exhibit at the Canadian Cultural Centre in the French capital features actresses who pose as prostitutes and engage visitors in conversations about sex.

Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy described show designer artist Nadine Norman as "very distinguished".

"It's not for me to engage in judgement as to what's good art or culture," he told journalists in Ottawa.

But the fact that the performance is being staged with public money has sparked a storm of protests.

Although "Call Girl" has been running since December, news of it surfaced only this month in Canada amidst a row over alleged mismanagement of billions of dollars of public funds.

Uproar

"I think every Canadian would agree that this is the wrong priority for our money to be spent," opposition Reform MP Diane Ablonczy said.

And the daily Ottawa Citizen newspaper ran a front-page headline "Your Tax Dollars at Work" above a photo of a scantily-clad "call girl".

Mr Axworthy's department is reported to have paid about 35,000 Canadian dollars ($24,000) for the live installation.

A further 15,000 Canadian dollars came from the Canada Council for the Arts.

A spokesman for Mr Axworthy said "Call Girl" had been a "huge success", and was being described as one the most popular exhibitions in Paris.

The department's website says the show plays on "interchange, the unexpected, desire, deception, surprise, availability and the forbidden".

"Call Girl" runs until 29 February.