SHERBROOKE — Prime Minister Mark Carney says the future of the country will be decided by Canadians — not by large U.S. tech firms.

His comments come a day after tech industrialist Elon Musk argued on social media that Quebec would be “better off” separating from Canada, and that Alberta and Saskatchewan should also leave the federation.

Carney says 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 prime minister made the comments in response to a question at a news conference in Sherbrooke, Que., about Musk’s post on social media.

Quebec voters elected a separatist government on Monday by granting the Parti Québécois a minority mandate.

On Wednesday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe replied to Musk’s post on social media with a short rebuttal: “No.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2026.

The Canadian Press