Political leaders respond after Musk says Prairie provinces, Quebec would be better off leaving Canada

CALGARY — Prime Minster Mark Carney and the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan have all rejected Elon Musk’s suggestion that the Prairie provinces and Quebec would be better off leaving Canada.The world’s richest man posted on social media platform X on Wednesday that Quebec would be better off being independent from Canada and suggested that Alberta and Saskatchewan would be, too..At a press conference on Thursday in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the “future of Canada will be decided by Canadians” when asked about Musk’s comments regarding the possibility of Quebec sovereignty. “The priorities of Canadians, the priorities of the people of Quebec... are affordability, social justice... building a strong Quebec within a strong Canada and a strong Canada that means more independent, more sovereign, more prosperous,” Carney told reporters. “We can live our lives as we choose in Quebec, in Canada. It respects our languages, our culture, our way of life, and is free from interference from foreign governments, and large tech firms that think they can tell us what to do.”Musk’s comments sparked a debate on social media, with federalist and independence figures weighing in.Moe responded curtly to the tech entrepreneur, giving a concise answer: “No.”.The Saskatchewan premier has previously said he considers himself a proud Canadian while also saying he would not block a public vote on independence if residents in the province petitioned for a plebiscite.Meanwhile, Smith has said she strongly disagrees with Musk’s view.She has stated repeatedly that she plans to vote for Alberta to remain in Canada in the upcoming October 19 referendum.“I support Alberta remaining in Canada,” she previously said.“That is my position. That is the position of my government, my caucus, and my party.”.'DOES THIS COUNTRY ACTUALLY WANT US?': Smith fights back tears as she makes the case for Alberta to remain in Canada.Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1971 and has lived in several parts of Canada.His mother, Maye, was born in Saskatchewan, where Musk worked on a family farm for a time as a teenager.He later moved to Vancouver before attending Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1990, where he met his first wife.Musk spent two years at Queen’s before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied until 1995..Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney stated that if Musk still holds Canadian citizenship, “the only honourable thing for him to do is to renounce it.”Alberta independence advocate Jeffrey Rath was quick to respond, telling Kenney that Musk had renounced his Canadian citizenship by taking the US citizenship oath..“He did renounce his Canadian Citizenship the minute he took that oath,” Rath said.“So did your little Elbozo buddy Mike Myers… It’s really remarkable that someone with as many opinions as you seem to have, how ignorant you are of basic knowledge. Weren’t you once a Canadian Minister of Immigration?”.Keith Wilson, a lawyer and prominent Alberta independence proponent, welcomed Musk’s comments, saying that federalist interests had spent weeks leading up to the referendum making economic arguments against leaving Canada.“For weeks, powerful federalist interests have filled the air with economic fear,” Wilson stated.“Elon Musk—one of the world’s most brilliant and successful entrepreneurs—says plainly: ‘They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too.’ Clarity cuts through the haze. Vote Option 2.”

Political leaders respond after Musk says Prairie provinces, Quebec would be better off leaving Canada

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