They wear green instead of red, and there are only three of them, but candidates for the Green Party leadership argue the winner will be just as essential to Canadian politics as the next Liberal leader.

"I want to be responding to government policies, to those things that are at odds with basic Green Party philosophies, whether it's an increasing militaristic stance from the government or the complete abdication of responsibility on the climate file," candidate Elizabeth May told CTV's Question Period on Sunday.

"These are issues of urgent concern to Canadians and the other parties just aren't listening."

The Green Party of Canada is holding its 2006 Convention in Ottawa from Aug. 24-27. A new leader will be chosen to replace Jim Harris, who does not want to take the party into the next federal election.

Along with Elizabeth May, the other two contenders are Deputy Leader David Chernushenko and real-estate agent Jim Fannon.

May, a lawyer and long-time executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, said she is offering the Green Party "three decades worth of credibility and work that I've done in public life in Canada."

One of her most noteworthy campaigns was a 17-day hunger strike staged back in 2001 to protest lack of government action to clean up the Sydney tar ponds in Cape Breton.

For her efforts, she was named an officer of the Order of Canada last year. She has also written two books and received two honorary doctorates.

Chernushenko joined the Green Party three years ago, and rose to become deputy leader in less than a year. But he denied being a part of any old guard.

"I do have a track record with the party ... an understanding of how the party works, and to be honest what's not working very well with the party - and I think that's critical," said Chernushenko.

He added that he has "a good sense of what the party needs now, and the kind work we need to do together to build into that big strong party that can take on the others."

Analysts consider Fannon to be the least likely to gain the party's leadership, but he denied the charge and said his campaign is working.

"I wouldn't consider myself a long-shot," said Fannon. "Actually, this is my sixth election -- I've run two provincial campaigns, twice federally, one municipally and now this leadership. I have the most political experience of any of these folks when it comes to the Green Party."

He first joined the party in 1993, when he ran federally in Ontario's Niagara Centre riding.

Fannon said he has a strong business sense, cultivated from his work in real estate and his business selling hemp food products in St. Catharines, Ont.

"What we need most of all right now is a salesman," said Fannon.

He argued that "until people find out what we're all about, and understand what our sometimes pie-in-the-sky philosophy and policies actually mean when you bring it down to earth, and how these policies are put into practical terms, they're not going to vote for us."