OTTAWA - When Stephen Harper travels, there's a trusted woman by his side making sure his suit is lint-free, his tie is on straight and his coif is in place.
No, not his wife Laureen.
Michelle Muntean is the prime minister's image adviser. She rides the government plane with Harper around the world and to major domestic events. Last week, she accompanied Harper to ceremonies at Vimy Ridge in France. In November, she made sure his look was just so when he met with Pacific rim leaders in Vietnam -- although the traditional dress-like ao dai that Harper was forced to wear in the closing photograph was out of her control.
Last summer, Muntean saw to it that the prime minister would be picture perfect for G8 meetings in St. Petersburg. She's expected to be part of Harper's public relations army in the next campaign too.
Who pays for Muntean's fees?
Harper's director of communications, Sandra Buckler, refused to answer repeated questions about the tab.
"The Prime Minister travels with a variety of staff as determined by his tour needs,'' Buckler said in an email.
A government source said Muntean's expenses are paid for by the Conservative Party, but whether taxpayers pay for her services remains an open question.
Harper would not be the first Canadian political leader to travel with an image consultant.
The late Quebec premier Robert Bourassa travelled with a hairdresser who doubled as a bodyguard and valet during his first period in office.
But the prime minister has demanded accountability for such perks in the past.
As a Reform MP, Harper publicly criticized then-leader Preston Manning for not divulging how much the party had paid for his wardrobe allowance. Manning eventually detailed the $31,000 he had received, but not before tensions had erupted in the party and caucus over the issue.
Harper, like Manning, has been dissected in the media for his choice of clothing and look.
Party insiders say Harper is notoriously sensitive about receiving advice about his image and has swiftly put a series of subordinates in their place when they bring up the subject. Muntean remains the only person he tolerates tips from. Over the years she has become a cheerful fixture in his entourage, a vivacious blonde that stands out among the tense handlers that surround him.
She worked for years in television, and wound up as CBC Television's head of makeup in the 1990s. Muntean eventually struck off on her own as a private consultant, and began a relationship with Harper during the Conservative leadership race. She went on to assist him during the last two federal election campaigns.
Sources say Harper has become her main client since he became prime minister, and he has tried unsuccessfully to have her move to Ottawa from Toronto.
Muntean is sometimes referred to as the "dresser'' by Harper's staff, because she helps to put together the prime minister's suit combinations for events. She also helps with his grooming and makeup for major speeches and events on the road and during campaigns, and advises him generally on his look.
It's unclear whether she advised him on some of Harper's fashion faux-pas -- the fishing jacket he wore during a photo opportunity with Presidents George Bush and Vicente Fox in Mexico, for example, or the black-leather vest and bolo tie donned during a Calgary Stampede event.
Muntean did not return calls, but image consultants are known for their discretion when it comes to clients.
Aides to former Liberal prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin said their bosses never took any sort of image consultant with them abroad, and only hired stylists or makeup artists infrequently for television interviews or campaign commercials.
Toronto-based image consultant Diane Craig says getting professional advice is important for Canada's top politicians. Craig offered her services to Manning when he abandoned his academic-type look for a more relaxed, modern image in 1997.
"He like many others have had to come to the realization that unfortunately before people can even listen to you, you give them a non-verbal message. When they're on camera it's their physical presence...and people often based on that first message decide if they're going to listen to you or not,'' said Craig, president of Image International.
"It's one more thing to be worried about, it's a very important one, because you want to get your message out there.''
Craig said it was "quite amazing'' that Harper had a consultant who travelled with him abroad.
"I've been around many years, and it's not the usual.''
