HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's New Democrats are pressuring the province to turn down the chance to buy 200 tickets to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

New Democrat Graham Steele says if the province buys the tickets, that would show its priorities are "completely upside down'' at a time when people are losing their jobs and surgeries are being delayed in hospitals.

Steele said the province shouldn't go ahead with the purchase.

"There's only one right thing for the premier to do on this and that is to say that if he's going to the Olympics, he's paying for it himself,'' Steele said Wednesday at the legislature.

The option to purchase the tickets is part of a $1.5-million contribution the province has made to the Games.

Premier Rodney MacDonald said the deal is a good one because it gives the province an opportunity to promote itself to business and cultural groups in Vancouver.

"This is not just Vancouver's Games, this is Canada's Olympic Games,'' he said.

He also said he doesn't know how many tickets the province has an option to buy, or whether any of the four VIP tickets available are for him.

"I can't even tell you how many tickets there are for any parts of the events,'' MacDonald said outside a Conservative caucus meeting.

When he was the minister responsible for sports in the province, MacDonald said he had the opportunity to attend the Canada Games but declined.

In an interview with CTV on Tuesday, MacDonald suggested the tickets could be given away to Nova Scotians, but he said he would leave it up to the minister responsible to determine what should be done about the tickets.

"My focus ... has never been on tickets and nor would it ever be,'' he said. "We have a long time yet before the events unfold and we'll wait to make a decision.''