Look what I found tucked in the back of Halifax's weekend political gossip column: the New Democrat MP who took over from Alexa McDonough.  The already well-known supporter of the Halifax arts scene is earning some ink for a fellow NDP politician, a local gallery and a local artist, all in less than 100 words.

Newly elected MP Megan Leslie now has something to remind her what a jungle political life can be sometimes.  Halifax Needham MLA Maureen MacDonald gave Ms. Leslie a painting for her Ottawa office called Animals in the House II. The small piece of art is by Jack Merrell. During the fall election, Ms. Leslie toured the Veith Street Gallery and was quite taken with Mr. Merrill's Animals in the House. Since that painting belongs to the gallery, the artist agreed to do a variation of it for Ms. Leslie.