Many of the fiscal conservatives already departed the PCs and have joined the WR. But perhaps even more so, many of the social conservatives also switched allegiance, and you can see that the WR probably lost the last election solely because two of its candidates vocally confirmed what many are afraid of, namely, the WR being comprised of a redneck, socially right wing, gun-toting, religious-to-a-fault based membership. Those two candidates did so right before the ballots were cast and probably cost the WR a victory. At least in my case, I can say hearing those comments and knowing that those candidates made it through the screening process turned me off the WR in a major way.
Regardless, now you have a PC party where fiscal conservatives exist but they're not the majority they used to be. Many of those former PC members are in the WR, as the WR continues to try to soften its right-wing perception. Smith has been instrumental in telling the membership that if they continue on their old ways they'll never govern.
The PCs aren't the big tent they were in the past. There are more Lougheed types than conservative types. I'd go as far to say that without the fiscal conservatives such as Denis in the cabinet, the place looks more like what a Liberal Party should look like.
The PCs have to decide what kind of party they will be as they certainly aren't able to roll over the opposition like they have in the past. Before the challenge was from the left, even though they weren't that far apart. Now the challenge is from the right, and again they aren't that far apart.
If they would even entertain Nenshi as leader I'd be shocked. His politics would make Redford look tory blue.
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