Quebec says the Harper government is using humanitarian aid to promote Christian values.
It's prompting the PQ government to push for control over its portion of the funds.

A study published in the Canadian Journal of Development Studies says federal funding for religious aid groups, including Christian ones, is up 42% between 2005 and 2010, while secular aid groups saw their funding stagnate.

More independence for Quebec

"The Conservative government seems to have put their political agenda first, instead of following the mission of CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency," says Quebec's intergovernmental affairs minister Alexandre Cloutier.

"If they don't know what to do in poor countries with their money, we'll be more than happy to manage it in Quebec," says Cloutier.

He says Quebec would stay true to the mission of helping others if it controlled its portion of the funds.

Separate issues

Kyle Matthews, senior deputy director with the Montreal institute for genocide and human rights studies, says Quebec could also use the money to promote its own policies and agenda, like the promoting sovereignty.

"As a Montreal Quebec citizen, I don't want to see my tax dollars go towards the PQ government to use foreign aide for political matters, not humanitarian matters."

He says the PQ's request for control is not the way to deal with the issue.

photo of: Alexandre Cloutier