Conservatives go right, but will Canadians follow?

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      On Sunday (August 23), the Conservative Party of Canada will crown its new leader.

      And with nearly 175,000 votes cast, party members are eagerly awaiting the outcome.

      But do the four candidates really have the right stuff to dislodge Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals?

      Or are they too extreme for urban and suburban Canadian voters in the 21st century?

      Judge for yourself...

      Media outlets have characterized former cabinet minister Peter MacKay as the frontrunner.
      Peter MacKay

      Peter MacKay

      * as foreign affairs minister, MacKay opposed a United Nations call for a ceasefire after Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006. 

      * as defence minister, MacKay was a vociferous supporter of the F-35 fighter jet program. He and then prime minister Stephen Harper insisted that purchasing 65 F-35 planes would cost $16 billion before Canadians went to the polls in 2011. A year later, then auditor general Michael Ferguson's investigation concluded that the real cost would be $25 billion over 20 years.

      * As justice minister, MacKay criminalized the sale of sex between consenting adults. He also made it illegal for sex workers' organizations to collect dues to lobby for their collective labour rights.

      Former cabinet minister Erin O'Toole is hoping that Jason Kenney's endorsement will help bring victory.
      Erin O'Toole

      Erin O'Toole

      * His climate plan includes a pledge to scrap the federal carbon tax. It also states that Canada "can be a reliable source of natural gas to help the world get off coal".

      * O'Toole, who is backed by Alberta premier Jason Kenney, supports invoking the "notwithstanding" clause of the constitution to overrule Supreme Court of Canada rulings relating to some law and order policies.

      * A former captain in the Canadian Armed Forces, he's promised to expedite the delivery of new fighter jets.

      Social conservative Leslyn Lewis is a lawyer with a PhD. She's the only candidate who hasn't been elected to Parliament.

      Leslyn Lewis

      * She's promised to eliminate the federal carbon tax.

      * If she were leading the government, she would ban sex-selective abortion, "protect women from coerced abortions", and scrap funding for "international abortions".

      * Lewis will retain the "Nordic" model, which criminalizes the sale of sex between consenting adults, and "stop the expansion of new categories" for medically assisted death.

      Ontario MP Derek Sloan has been the most unapologetically right wing candidate in the race.
      Derek Sloan

      Derek Sloan

      * He will make it illegal for online platforms to ban users unless they've been "documented" breaking Canadian law.

      * His 12-point pro-life plan maintains that pregant women and their unborn children are "often the victims of homicide". Provinces that do not ensure freedom of expression for campus pro-life clubs will  have federal equalization payments clawed back.

      * Sloan supports raising the mandatory minimum age for cannabis use to 25 and wants to pull Canada out of the World Health Organization.

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