Federal Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will hit the barbecue circuit this summer in an effort to improve his image, which he reluctantly conceded could use a dose of levity.

"My wife said to me recently: 'You do need to have more fun,'" Harper recalled following a national Conservative caucus meeting.

"She said: 'You're not having enough fun, even by your standards.' So we'll do some of that."

Harper's summer socializing will be an effort to change people's perception of the leader, who has been accused of being too stiff and serious.

"One of the things we are excited about...is that Canadians are going to get to know the real Stephen Harper, get to know the person that we know," said Tory MP Rona Ambrose, appearing on CTV Newsnet's Countdown.

"(He's) the kind of guy that walks his kids to school every day, and drives a mini-van. He's very much a regular person and I think that Canadians can really identify with him."

It won't be all play and no work, though. Harper will be addressing the party's policy positions on health, childcare and the economy.

Still, Harper maintained that outside the Ottawa "fishbowl," his public persona is "not much of a problem."

Some say this may not be entirely accurate. Observers have pointed out that his party has seen support plummet in the public opinion polls and Tory party insiders have indicated there has been some frustration with the 46-year-old leader.

Even the Deputy Leader Peter MacKay noted that Harper has "come to understand that people have to like you. And they will like him."

MacKay said: "I think we have to show a sunny disposition and show to Canadians that we're competent, we're professional, we're disciplined and we're ready to govern."

On Wednesday in the House of Commons, Harper's political combatant Prime Minister Paul Martin had some sage advice for working the barbecue circuit.

Martin waved a copy of the South Beach Diet book, which outlines the regimen he has been following to watch his weight.

"I understand the dangers of the barbecue circuit, and I would therefore like to table this document for the benefit of the leader of the Opposition this summer," he said.

Harper's decision to buff up his image may be linked to recent public opinion polls which showed not only that the Tories lost support, but that their leader saw his popularity drop.

A recent poll conducted for CTV and The Globe and Mail by The Strategic Counsel indicated that Harper was viewed favourably by 50 per cent of respondents in May. About one month later, that number dropped to 40 per cent.

It appears there may also be some dissenting Tories. Some within his own ranks are asking why the falling poll numbers despite a sponsorship scandal tainting the Paul Martin Liberals.

One key Conservative organizer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Globe that people within the party are beginning to talk about replacing their leader.