Alberta, Saskatchewan premiers reject Elon Musk's call for separation

The premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan have publicly rejected a suggestion from billionaire Elon Musk that their provinces should separate from Canada. Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, made the comments on Wednesday in response to a post about Quebec independence. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she strongly disagrees with the tech mogul, while Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe offered a one-word reply on social media. Prime Minister Mark Carney also responded, saying Canada's future will be decided by Canadians.

Musk, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, wrote that Quebec should separate and would be better off for it. In a follow-up post, he added, "Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too." The comments came as Alberta prepares for a referendum on its future in Canada and after Quebec's sovereigntist Parti Québécois won a minority government. Smith, speaking to a chamber of commerce on Wednesday, said she is committed to keeping Alberta in Canada.

"I am going to do whatever I can to convince as many Albertans as possible that Canada can work and hopefully win them over to that view," Smith said. "That's because the fight to make Canada work for Alberta is producing results. When Alberta stood up and spoke out and refused to back down, the rest of the country started listening. That's why I believe our best days are still ahead, as a strong Alberta within a united Canada." She has said she plans to vote to stay in Canada in the upcoming provincial referendum.

READ MORE: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith votes to stay in Canada in separation referendum

READ MORE: Federal government tables bill to exclude mental illness from MAID eligibility

On Wednesday afternoon, Moe quote-replied to Musk's post on X, simply writing, "No." His office said on Thursday he had nothing more to add. Moe has previously said Saskatchewan is stronger within a united Canada, but he would not stop a plebiscite if residents secured enough signatures to trigger a referendum. At a Western Premiers' meeting in May, Moe said, "We support a strong and growing province of Saskatchewan with the united nation of Canada." Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked about Musk's comments on Thursday while speaking in Quebec. Carney said the future of Canada will be decided by Canadians, the priorities of Canadians and the people of Quebec. "A strong Canada means more independent, more sovereign, more prosperous," Carney said, adding that Canada will be "free from foreign interference of foreign governments and large tech firms that think they can tell us what to do."

On Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on a referendum question that asks if the province should remain in Canada or if the government should start the legal process for a binding separation vote. The question was triggered after petitions from grassroots organizations gathered more than 700,000 signatures. In Quebec, premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has vowed to hold a referendum on independence, though no date has been set.

This is not the first time Musk has commented on Canadian separatism. In April, he agreed with an X user who argued Alberta independence was the only way to save the province. Last year, he declared that "Canada is not a real country" in a since-deleted post. Musk was born in South Africa, but his mother was born and raised in Saskatchewan, where he spent time as a teenager before attending Queen's University in Ontario.

With files from CBC News, Global News and National Post