The CPC policy convention is a year out, so previous government positions may not change much before that.  The promising aspect of Scheer is his collaborative approach.   Unlike Harper, he may well be open to influence from other party members on policies.  This could be an advantage if he adopts some of the policy ideas from moderate candidates (particularly Lisa Raitt but also O'Toole).  Scheer is playing to win and knows that adopting policies from the social conservative side (e.g. Trost, Lemieux) will not attract the younger or swing voters needed to win.  I predict that the CPC will modernize incrementally and focus on tone, rather than transforming into Liberal Lite.