Canada’s future “will be decided by Canadians” and should be free from interference from foreign governments “and large tech firms that think they can tell us what to do,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said. Carney on Thursday fired back at Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the American tech trillionaire said Quebec should separate from Canada. On Wednesday, Musk responded to a post on his X platform about the goal of Quebec’s premier-designate, Paul St. Pierre Plamondon, for the province to become sovereign “one day.” “Good. Quebec should separate,” responded Musk, a former U.S. government official who once led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Donald Trump administration before returning to the private sector. When asked by journalists for his reaction, Carney said Canada’s future will be guided by “the priorities of Canadians, [and] the priorities of the people of Quebec.” He said those priorities include affordability, social justice, the fight against homelessness, as well as building “a strong Quebec within a strong Canada.” He made the comments on the sidelines of an announcement by the federal government to invest $2 billion in a new national heat pump rebate program in a bid to encourage Canadians to retrofit more energy-efficient heating options. Carney was in Quebec three days after voters elected a Parti Québécois (PQ) government, whose leader has promised a referendum on Quebec sovereignty as early as 2029. On Thursday, Carney advocated for Canada to stay united. “A strong Canada that means more independent, more sovereign, more prosperous, obviously, but also so we can live our lives as we choose in Quebec, in Canada, that respects our languages, our culture, our way of life,” he added. Musk also opined on X that Alberta and Saskatchewan should also separate from Canada, saying the provinces “would be better off.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe offered his response: “No.” Before winning the Oct. 5 election, St. Pierre Plamondon said he would not hold a referendum while Trump is in office. The PQ’s minority status risks complicating the process for St-Pierre Plamondon, as minority governments historically don’t last very long.
