Remission of Overpayment for Cédric Gouillart

Summary#

The Cédric Gouillart Remission Order is an order under the Financial Administration Act that cancels an overpayment debt of $22,031 (plus related interest) owed by the estate of a deceased Department of National Defence employee. The order was made on December 9, 2021 and published in the Canada Gazette on December 22, 2021.

What it does#

• Remits (forgives) $22,031 and all relevant interest that was owed by the succession (estate) of Cédric Gouillart for salary overpayments.
• Explains the background: the employee disappeared in May 2018; pay was continued until October 2018; a Quebec court issued a declaratory judgment of death in August 2019.
• Says the remission was sought on compassionate grounds because collecting the debt would cause severe hardship for the family.
• Uses the remission power under subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act to extinguish the debt (the Act otherwise requires recovery of overpayments).

Who's affected#

• The primary people affected are the family and estate (succession) of Cédric Gouillart — they will no longer have to repay the $22,031 plus interest.
• The Department of National Defence, which recorded the overpayment and will remove the debt from its accounts.
• The Union of National Defence Employees is mentioned as having raised the family’s case with the department.
• It is not a rule change for everyone; it applies to this specific case. The notice does not say whether similar remissions will be granted in other cases.

Why it matters#

• For the family, the order removes a significant financial burden and the stress of debt collection after a personal tragedy.
• For the department, it allows financial records to be balanced by removing a debt that would otherwise have to be recovered.
• It shows how the government can use a remission order (under the Financial Administration Act) when strict recovery rules would cause hardship.