Canadian leaders reject Elon Musk's call for Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan to separate

Summary

Elon Musk replied to a post about the Parti Québécois leader's independence dream, saying Quebec should separate. He then said Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too. Premiers Danielle Smith and Scott Moe rejected the idea quickly. On October 8, Mark Carney said Canada prioritizes living free from interference from foreign governments and large tech firms. The next day, Pierre Poilievre dismissed the posts as silly tweets.

The video places the posts in a longer history. Musk's mother is from Saskatchewan, and his grandfather led the Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan. A 2025 petition calling for his Canadian citizenship to be revoked over his ties to Trump gathered more than 375,000 signatures. Alberta votes in a referendum on October 19, less than two weeks after Musk's posts. Historian Quinn Slobodian of Boston University argues Musk is placing a "free bet": if Canada breaks up, he gains an edge; if not, the posts fade.

The stakes are material. The video notes that the three provinces hold hydroelectric power, oil and gas, potash and uranium, and that a united Canada negotiates over them together at the CUSMA table. Quebec's Parti Québécois won a minority government on October 5. The video argues that this week's response shows Canadians decide Canada's future.

Key points

• Musk said Quebec should separate, then wrote that Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too.
• Premiers Danielle Smith and Scott Moe rejected the idea right away.
• Carney said Canada prioritizes living free from interference from foreign governments and large tech firms.
• Poilievre called the posts "silly tweets" and said tweets and memes don't shape the country.
• Alberta votes in a referendum on October 19 on whether to stay in Canada or begin a path toward a separation vote.
• Musk's 2025 citizenship petition gathered more than 375,000 signatures.

Questions answered