Carney says Canadians will decide country's future after Musk backs separatism

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country’s future would be decided by Canadians, responding to Elon Musk’s support for the separation of Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“The future of Canada will be decided by Canadians, and the priorities of Canadians, the priorities of the people of Quebec,” Carney told reporters in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on Thursday.

Carney said people should be free to live according to their language and culture. Discussions about the provinces’ futures, he added, should be “free from interference from foreign governments and large tech firms that think they can tell us what to do.”

Musk, chief executive of “Tesla” and “SpaceX”, posted his comments on the social media platform “X” on Wednesday. “Good. Quebec should separate,” he wrote, before adding that Alberta and Saskatchewan “should separate too.”

Alberta residents are due to vote on Oct. 19 on whether the province should remain part of Canada or whether its government should begin the legal process for a binding separation referendum. The non-binding ballot will offer those two options.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in Edmonton on Thursday that she would vote for the province to remain in Canada. She said separatist sentiment had weakened as her government and Carney’s federal government worked to address residents’ concerns.

“The federal government has changed. Their approach to us has changed and they’re willing to work together on addressing those issues,” Smith said.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe responded to Musk’s remarks with a single word on “X”: “No.”