I think it goes beyond the bad press. Although the Liberals have a majority government, they strike me as potentially weak. The Conservatives need to find a leader and policies that make them electable, to offer a real alternative to the Liberals for those who may be displeased with the Liberal government's actions to date. To do this, it seems to me that they need to look for the more moderate candidates. I'm not sure that they can do this. 

To my mind, we have a similar problem here in Ontario, where I live. The Wynne government is extremely vulnerable, but thus far, the electorate has no clear idea of who Patrick Brown may be, or of what he stands for. Hard to vote for an unknown quantity, particularly when you're suspicious of his party, as many Ontarians seem to be.