'Swimming into the tide': Liberal MPs talk summer strategy as they prepare to hit the doors down in the polls

Preparing to head back to their ridings for the summer, Liberal MPs say that while it's 'not a happy time,' they're gearing up to hit the doorsteps to try to connect with Canadians directly in an effort to turn the tide for their party that's been persistently down in the polls.

Preparing to head back to their ridings for the summer, Liberal MPs say that while it's "not a happy time," they're gearing up to hit the doorsteps to try to connect with Canadians directly in an effort to turn the tide for their party that's been persistently down in the polls.

Heading out on the all-important barbecue circuit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and their caucuses will be using the summer break from Parliament to pitch their parties' policies and plans to make the country better, all in an effort to shore-up voter support ahead of the next election.

Asked on their way in to their final Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa before the summer break about how they're feeling amid fresh polling showing the Liberals and Trudeau are further trailing Poilievre's Conservatives, MPs acknowledged the work ahead.

"We're swimming into the tide. It's tough. No good deed goes unpunished. We have to be resolute, we have to have faith in out constituents, we have to have faith in what we're doing, and we do," Liberal MP Sean Casey said.

Asked about the tone as MPs are about to wrap up their work in Ottawa, Casey described it as "not a happy time," citing the hyper-partisanship that he worries will only worsen the longer the electorate doesn't push back at what he called Poilievre's "bad behaviour."

"He is emboldened, as is his caucus, it's a bad look," Casey said. He said he's not sure what the Liberals do "except continue to do good things," and hope the electorate tunes back in the closer the next campaign gets.

He said that while it's "frustrating," to be in the political position his party is, it's not going to change his strategy this summer.