TORONTO - Former prime minister Brian Mulroney's daughter, Caroline, says while Canadians talk a lot about her father, it was her mother who taught her about conservatism.

The Toronto lawyer running to lead the Ontario Tories says her mother's immigrant experience has shaped her own politics.

Caroline Mulroney says she also sought her mother's advice about the impact of political life on a family since both are mothers of four children.

Mulroney talked about her family at a major gathering of Canada's conservatives in Ottawa today, portraying herself as a fresh face in Ontario politics as the province heads for a June election.

Ontario's Progressive Conservatives will be selecting a new leader in March after the departure of Patrick Brown, who resigned in the face of sexual misconduct allegations he emphatically denies.

Mulroney says she believes Ontario's Tories must be a "big tent" party where diverse views are heard and welcome.

She downplayed the fact that she has never held public office, saying Ontario residents want something completely different after 15 years of Liberal government.