Progressive Conservative MLA Carl Urquhart apologized for saying on his Facebook page, "Girls we need more babies or we will never be able to support our future." (CBC)

Progressive Conservative MLA Carl Urquhart rose in New Brunswick's legislative assembly on Wednesday to apologize for writing on Facebook that girls had to make more babies to help the provincial economy.

Urquhart made the post on his Facebook page after Tuesday's budget that called for another massive deficit.

"Girls we need more babies or we will never be able to support our future," Urquhart wrote.

Liberal MLA Joan MacAlpine-Stiles, who served as status of women minister in Bernard Lord's PC government, said she found the comment "unspeakably offensive."

"To suggest to New Brunswick's young women that their only role in society and their only contribution to the New Brunswick economy is to have babies is demeaning and outdated thinking which flies in the face of everything this government and previous governments have done to promote equality for women," MacAlpine-Stiles said.

"I would also like to remind [Urquhart] of something all New Brunswickers know, that parenting is a shared responsibility for both moms and dads. … Society has evolved to recognize all the contributions women make. It's a shame the member for York hasn't evolved at the same pace."

The York MLA apologized for the comment after MacAlpine-Stiles' statement.

"I want to stand in the house today on comments that if my good friend was offended by, I certainly don't mind apologizing to her. And I would withdraw whatever she was offended by," Urquhart said.

"But I think I will take it as a lesson for the learning. I've got to understand that a lot of times in politics if you say what you say, that you offend people."