Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):

Honourable senators, I confess to a real conflict today. I am obviously delighted to be able to pay tribute to my friend Yoine Goldstein, but, on the other hand, I regret that it is in the context of his leaving the Senate where he has been such an active participant.

While Senator Goldstein's term of office has been relatively short, his contributions here have been impressively long. He stands as proof that one does not always have to be in a place for long to make a lasting and worthwhile contribution.

A native and lifelong resident of Montreal, Senator Goldstein is a graduate in arts and law from McGill University. For more than 40 years, he led an increasingly distinguished career as a lawyer, specializing in the fields of bankruptcy and insolvency, becoming a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Bankruptcy and the Insolvency Institute of Canada — the only Canadian to be so recognized.

His knowledge of insolvency law is recognized throughout Canada and around the world, and he has published extensively on that topic.

Throughout his life, he has been a pillar of the Canadian and Montreal Jewish community, for which he has been honoured on numerous occasions. He was appointed to the Senate in August 2005 and immediately undertook an impressive legislative agenda.

Senator Goldstein has made an indelible impression on us all. Who amongst us has not been moved by his pleas for tolerance, respect and social justice throughout the world, by his warnings never to forget the horrors of the Holocaust or Kristallnacht and by his description of the atrocities in Darfur?

For him, human rights are not abstract concepts but rather basic values that must be promoted and protected everywhere. Senator Goldstein has consistently drawn our attention to the plight of the less fortunate and disadvantaged in our society. Only yesterday, he encouraged all of us to wear pins in support of African grandmothers and their orphans.

He has brought to this chamber and his committee work formidable analytical skills honed during his years as one of Canada's leading lawyers. He has consistently demonstrated an ability to cut to the heart of complex issues and, more importantly, to propose practical and sensible solutions.

In addition to being an active member on the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights and the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, he has represented Canada and the Senate at numerous international gatherings, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he has made important contributions reflecting his passion for human rights and social justice.

In the Senate, he has introduced legislation protecting students caught in the trap of bankruptcy and insolvency and legislation controlling spam email. He also introduced legislation amending the Investment Canada Act to include violations against human rights, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by investors or in which investors may have been involved, as factors to be taken into account in determining whether an investment is of net benefit to Canada.

Honourable senators, our colleague Senator Goldstein has made an important contribution to this place and to our society. He has set a high standard for us all, and we will miss his wise counsel and appeals to our consciences on a daily basis. As we bid him farewell, we know he will remain passionately involved in raising human awareness of human rights and issues of social justice.

Yoine, thank you for your work here, and Elaine, thank you for allowing us to share Yoine with you these past few years.


Please click here to read more tributes to the Honourable Yoine Goldstein

Please click here to read more tributes to the Honourable Yoine Goldstein

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