PC leader Jason Kenney doesn’t like what he’s hearing and seeing.

It’s got nothing to do with dyed-in-the-wool Wildrosers.

He doesn’t see or hear Wildrosers deep-sixing one united conservative party on July 22, the same day Progressive Conservatives also vote on whether to make two parties into one.

In fact, when he’s talking about the sentiment for unity among conservatives, Kenney is upbeat.

He’s heard almost no significant naysaying of the unity agreement inked by himself and Wildrose leader Brian Jean.

He expects next month there will be a “very strong endorsement” for one united conservative party.

He believes “precious few are willing to risk a second NDP term over small and shrinking differences between us.”

But it doesn’t take many to vote the other way to flush the unity deal down the toilet.

At least 75% of Wildrosers must vote yes to uniting with the PCs or it’s not happening.

It is then Kenney brings up the spectre of NDP supporters buying memberships in the two conservative parties, especially Wildrose, just so they can vote against unity.

“I’ve seen reports and heard rumours from people that some of the NDP’s front groups are getting their people to sign up, particularly with the Wildrose party, to try to prevent the 75%,” says Kenney.

“Look, some of these people have been quite public about it on social media.

“People from the left have said they’ve signed up as members of these two parties specifically to vote against the agreement. Of course that’s happening.”

Kenney says he doesn’t know how many are becoming two-minute Wildrosers or Tories to cast a No to unity or how well organized any sign-up effort has become.

The Wildrose will hold a special meeting in Red Deer July 22, where members signed up by July 8 will be able to vote.

Folks not wanting to go to Red Deer will be able to vote by phone or online or by both means. The party will have details soon.

The PC leader says both parties are taking a big risk with this grassroots vote.

“We’re opening ourselves up to possible mischief like this,” says Kenney.

“These are open, democratic parties so anybody can join. We don’t do an ideological purity test when you’re filling out a membership form.”

Kenney says some lefties not wanting unity “openly and publicly” voted in the PC leadership race he won.

It didn’t work.

But then there was the 2011 Tory leadership race when Alison Redford won with a little help from her newfound friends who were not any kind of conservative.

“Why wouldn’t they do it again?” asks Kenney.

“The NDP government is the gravy train for these folks. They want to keep the gravy train going. They understand if conservatives unite, the gravy train is over. They’re going to protect their interests.”

The PC leader urges individuals who want to get rid of the NDP to “get on the field” and “not sit on the sidelines” and vote.

Kenney also expects “the NDP anger machine to get cranked on to full-on hysteria.”

“I fully expect their big union boss friends are going to take millions in forced union dues and turn it into a campaign of false advertising against the united conservative alternative.

“This is what they did in B.C. It’s what they’ve done in Ontario. It’s the classic textbook, a campaign of fear and smear.”

The PC leader says he’s gone almost a year without personally going after the premier. He’s not going to start now.

“I will not get into the mud with them. You can expect a lot of one-way mud throwing but I’m not going to reciprocate because I think most Albertans are fed up with the politics of personal destruction.”

Make no mistake.

Kenney sounds serious about the threat of people trying to hijack the unity vote, though he does not yet know the extent of any skulduggery.

One thing is certain. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know one conservative party is tougher to beat than two.

“They get it,” says Kenney, of NDP loyalists.

“They have to do everything they can to prevent it.”

rbell@postmedia.com