Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is apologizing for referring to an Ontario politician as a ``little girl.''
Amanda Simard left the Progressive Conservative caucus last year over cuts to francophone services.
Mulroney appeared Sunday night on Radio Canada's ``Tout le monde en parle,'' and defended his daughter Caroline Mulroney, Ontario's attorney general and francophone affairs minister.
He said his daughter is the best voice that Ontario francophones could ever have, and without naming Simard, said, ``the little girl who resigned, she has left.''
imard said the comments belong to another era and have no place in a respectful and egalitarian society.
Brian Mulroney issued an apology today, saying he had no intention of insulting anyone with his ``poor choice of words'' and should have instead said ``young woman.''