TORONTO - Voters can't trust Progressive Conservative promises to roll out full-day kindergarten for all four- and five-year-old kids in Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty charged Wednesday.

The Tories have pledged to expand full-day kindergarten to all elementary schools for 2014 -- the same timetable as the Liberals -- if they win the Oct. 6 election.

McGuinty said he doesn't accept that, but he stopped short of calling Opposition Leader Tim Hudak a liar.

"You can use whatever words you want," he said from a school in what's expected to be a hotly contested Toronto riding. "I'm going to allow people to draw their own conclusions."

McGuinty, who broke a signed pledge not to raise taxes in 2004, said Hudak has zero credibility when it comes to the $1.5-billion program because his party repeatedly spoke out against it.

"I think Mr. Hudak called it a 'shiny new car.' They called it a 'frill,"' McGuinty said. "I mean, what kind of an unwavering, firm, commitment does that represent to this program? It doesn't."

McGuinty's opponents point out that the premier broke his election promises not to hike taxes, first in 2004 by imposing a health tax of up to $900 per worker, then again in 2010, when the Liberals brought in the harmonized sales tax.

But McGuinty brushed off the history lesson, saying the Tories are only matching Liberal funding promises on education and health care as a "defensive measure."

It would be easy for the Tories to "turn off the tap" when it comes to funding full-day kindergarten, or "weaken" the program that's currently in place, McGuinty said.

"I know people say different things, but at the end of the day, who do you trust when it comes to your schools?" he said. "Who's put their heart into full-day kindergarten? Who's prepared to stand up for four- and five-year-olds? Who's prepared to make that commitment to your children and grandchildren? Ask yourselves that."

But McGuinty also admitted he hasn't read the Tories' "Changebook" platform, which was unveiled Sunday at the party's annual convention.

Voters can trust the Tories because the party has laid out a fully costed plan to boost funding for education and health care, while cutting spending in other areas, said Hudak.

"Now I know Dalton McGuinty just assumes that everybody breaks promises just like he does, but not everybody is like that," he said. "In fact, most people keep their word, and that's what we want to see change in our province."

The self-described "education premier" is also setting a bad example for school kids by attacking his rival from a classroom, said the New Democrats.

McGuinty is "lashing out" because feels cornered by the other two parties, they said.

"Not only does he not have any credibility, but I can tell you if I was a parent of one of those kids, and some adult in a room full of kids was telling somebody they were a liar, I'd be giving that guy a time out," said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

"I think the premier deserves a time out for the way he behaved in front of those children."

Horwath said the NDP would also continue to roll out full-day kindergarten if her party wins the fall election.

About 35,000 children in some 600 schools are currently participating in the program. It's expected to ramp up to 2,500 schools in September 2013, then to all elementary schools the following year.