Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer greets supporters during a barbecue at the Riverview Park and Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019. Lance Anderson/Torstar

Andrew Scheer on Thursday said a Conservative government would expand a tax deduction for seniors, in a policy announcement overshadowed by the emergence of images showing Liberal leader Justin Trudeau wearing brownface and blackface.

In remarks in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., Scheer committed to increasing the age credit by $1,000, which the party said could lead to some individuals aged 65 or over receiving up to $150 more per year.

“Seniors deserve support more than anyone,” Scheer said. “They dedicated their lives to their work, their family, and their community.”

The age credit lowers taxable income for Canadians that are 65 and over and earned less than $87,750 per year in 2019. Scheer said that because the age credit is income-tested, meaning the credit amount goes down as net income goes up, it will benefit low- to middle-income seniors.

Scheer also promised to make the cost of living in Canada more manageable, though would not commit to “zero inflation” under a Conservative government.

“What we aim for is a more stable cost of living,” he said.

Many seniors live on a fixed income drawn from pension funds or savings, making spikes in the cost of living particularly onerous.

One reporter questioned Scheer if the announcement was significant, noting that the $150 mark boils down to just $12.50 a month per person.

“For a couple, that’s $300 a year,” he responded.

He added that the announcement goes hand-in-hand with other measures, including the party’s commitment to lower the personal rate of income tax, and to reintroduce the transit tax credit, which he said many seniors used.

Speaking in French, Scheer said, “this is part of a package that will collectively put more money back in the pockets of Canadians.”

The Conservatives provided an estimate of the tax credit’s effect on federal coffers from the independent, non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Office. The estimate found that the proposal, which would take effect in 2020, will cost $553 million in its first year, and jump to $784 million by 2028-29.

On Wednesday, Trudeau announced in Fredericton, N.B., that a re-elected Liberal government would increase Old Age Security by 10 per cent for seniors 75 and older, and to boost the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan survivor’s benefit by 25 per cent.

But the Liberals have not committed to having all of their election promises costed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and Trudeau told reporters that the independent office was instead analyzing “specific measures” that his party would be pitching in the campaign.

READ MORE: Trudeau doesn’t commit to costing all election promises through PBO

Scheer’s press conference quickly changed tune to focus on the Liberal campaign, as reporters were keen to get reaction from the Conservative leader on images of Trudeau wearing black/brownface that were released Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The images come at a time when the Liberal war room has been releasing old social media posts of multiple Conservative candidates appearing to make racist remarks in the early days of the campaign. Scheer committed to forgiving candidates if they acknowledge a wrongdoing.

While Trudeau apologized on Wednesday for using makeup to darken his face, Scheer said the leader’s apology was insincere because he lied about the number of times he wore black/brownface. Scheer also said the Conservative campaign team was made aware of a video of Trudeau wearing blackface, but said the team sent it to media to verify.

Global News published a video of Trudeau wearing blackface on Thursday morning.

When asked if incidents like these distract from the campaign, Scheer said the Conservatives have focused on announcing concrete measures to make life more affordable for Canadians and their plan to pay for it.

The Conservatives have committed to ending funding for the Asia-infrastructure bank, and to cut $1.5 billion in corporate welfare subsidies to help pay for credits like Thursday’s announcement.

Since the start of the campaign last week, the Conservatives have promised a variety of Harper-era tax credits, like the transit tax credit and children’s fitness tax credit and the children’s arts and learning tax credit.

READ MORE: Trudeau did not tell Liberal Party about incidents of racist dress

Voters head to the polls on Oct. 21.