Deja vu, all over again.  The "outrage" against Jean reminds me of the "outrage" against Peter McKay when the federal PC Party merged with the Reform Party.  It turned out alright for the new CPC.  

If anything, the prospect of splinter groups suggests how problematic proportional representation would be.  The new UPC will smooth off some of the rough edges from the WildRose party.  Those "rough edges" forming their own splinter group, like any narrow special interest group, end up with disproportionate power under a proportional representation model.