Three of the frontrunners in the NDP leadership race took to the airwaves Friday to make their pitch to the party faithful, with the economy as the main topic of conversation.

NDP MPs Peggy Nash and Paul Dewar as well as former NDP president Brian Topp sat down with CTV's Power Play Friday to discuss their candidacies to replace the late NDP leader Jack Layton.

Along with Quebec NDP MP Thomas Mulcair, the trio are considered the frontrunners in the race.

Nash says her economic experience in both the private and public sector is unique to the race.

"Having been Jack Layton's choice for finance critic and previously industry critic, I've really made jobs and economy central for my campaign," she said. "My approach is one of being pragmatic and getting things done.

"My record shows I'm a bridge builder and I know how to bring people to together."

Dewar says he has a few ideas for the economy, particularly in the area of training.

"We need to deal with what I call the job deficit . . . let's have a discussion about job training in this country. We are bringing in tens of thousands of foreign trained workers when we have many Canadians here who out of work," he said. "Let's put together a smart job skills training program."

Dewar adds that he's been focused on the grassroots and that the NDP membership is quite "independently minded" and won't necessarily be swayed by endorsements from prominent NDP members.

On CTV's National Affairs earlier this week, Topp said a "boring" NDP leadership race could hurt the party.

On Friday, Topp said he plans to continue in Layton's optimistic brand of politics and says he's the "ideas" candidate.

He also said the NDP needs to be thinking beyond the leadership race, toward beating the Conservatives in the next election.

"If we are fiscally competent, economically literate, socially progressive and committed to that hopeful and optimist position that Jack Layton had then we will be in a position to win the next election," he said.

Topp also bristled at Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tory stuffing of the Senate, saying the upper chamber should be abolished.

Topp is a Montreal native who was a top advisor to Layton.

Toronto MP Nash is also a former president of the NDP as well as a longtime labour official with the Canadian Auto Workers' union.

Dewar has been an MP for Ottawa since 2006. A former schoolteacher, he's seen as one of the NDP top experts on international affairs. Dewar has been taking French courses and says his language skills are improving.