SHERBROOKE – Prime Minister Mark Carney responded Thursday to tech industrialist Elon Musk’s endorsement of provincial separation movements by saying Canada’s future will be decided by its citizens — not by large U.S. tech firms.
Speaking at a news conference in Sherbrooke, Que., Carney said Canadians can live their lives in Quebec and across the country “free from interference from foreign governments and large tech firms that think they can tell us what to do.”
“The future of Canada will be decided by Canadians and the priorities of Canadians, the priorities of the people of Quebec,” he said in reply to questions from a reporter about Musk’s comments.
He added those priorities include affordability, social justice and building a strong Quebec within a more independent and prosperous Canada.
Musk argued on his X platform on Wednesday that Quebec should leave the federation, and that Alberta and Saskatchewan should follow suit.
“Quebec should separate,” Musk said. “They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too.”
On Wednesday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe replied to Musk’s post with a terse rebuttal: “No.”
Carney recently announced a major $2.3-billion contract with Telesat for low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity for the military.
That service has aspirations to become a direct commercial challenger to Musk’s Starlink, which dominates the global market for low-Earth orbit satellite internet service.
Quebec voters elected a separatist government on Monday by granting the Parti Québécois a minority government.
PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pledged during the election that his party would not hold a referendum on separation while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office.
Carney has sought to use his ambitious economic agenda as an olive branch to the province and its new government, vowing Quebec will benefit from cooperative federalism.
The prime minister said in French on Thursday that he and St-Pierre Plamondon had a “cordial” first conversation this week that touched on “great investments here in Quebec,” immigration and other matters.
But the PQ has opposed the Carney government’s plans for the Alto project, a proposed high-speed rail link between Quebec and Ontario, raising questions about its viability.
Carney talked up the Alto project on Thursday when asked about its future prospects. He said in French it will create tens of thousands of jobs in the province and that he will work with the new provincial government to advance the project.
Alberta holds its own separation referendum in less than two weeks on Oct. 19.
Speaking in Edmonton on Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith argued that separatist sentiment in her province has weakened because she and Carney have addressed the “very real issues that were frustrating Albertans.”
“The federal government has changed. Their approach to us has changed and they’re willing to work together on addressing those issues,” she said.
