Alberta Finance Minister Iris Evans has backtracked from her statement that one parent needs to stay at home in order to raise a child properly, saying Thursday she understands all parents need to make choices that are right for them.

Evans, 67, declined media interviews on Thursday but issued a written statement to clarify her remarks, which she made on Wednesday to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto.

"I understand some people were offended by some of what I said. I did not intend to suggest there is only one way to raise a child," Evans wrote.

"Having worked for most of my adult life while raising kids, I understand no situation is the same and that parents have to make difficult choices that are in the best interests of their children, and I applaud them for making these choices."

In Wednesday's speech, Evans said that good parenting means that one parent has to sacrifice their job for the sake of the children.

"They've understood perfectly well that when you're raising children you don't both go off to work and leave them for somebody else to raise," Evans said. "This is not a statement against daycare. It's a statement about their belief in the importance of raising children properly."

The parenting remarks were not her only controversial comments during the Wednesday speech. She also said that a lack of education in children leads to mental illness and crime.

Alberta Liberal leader David Swann called for Evans to apologize saying her comments were insulting to working families.

"It's a fact of life in Alberta that in many families, both parents have to work -- especially now," he said.

"How much further out of touch can the Tories get?"

Swann said Evans would be better off to focus on managing the economy after posting the largest deficit in the province's history.

Fellow Liberal MLA Kent Hehr said she embarrassed her province.

"This put Alberta in a non-progressive light and doesn't show women as contributing members of society," he told CTV Calgary.

Duane Bratt, a political scientist at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies in Calgary, told CTV Calgary that Evans opened up a debate without actually providing any answers.

"She offended a lot of people with what she said," he said.

Premier Ed Stelmach was in Yukon Thursday and was asked to comment on what his finance minister said.

He responded that couples within his own extended family both work outside of the home.

"We have a tremendous respect for working families -- both parents working contributes greatly to the province of Alberta and to the country of Canada," he said.

With files from The Canadian Press