Photo credit: The Hill Times
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 US tech firms.
The Canadian Press reports that 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.
Musk argued on social media 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.”
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 US President Donald Trump remains in office.
