Vernon NewsVernon council defends local crime stats and harm reduction following MP’s critiqueMP delivers fiery updatePhoto: Facebook MP Scott AndersonVernon—Lake Country—Monashee MP Scott Anderson paid a visit to Vernon city council on Monday for his annual update, delivering sharp critiques on local social policies and sparking pushback from councillors. "As your MP, I won't stay silent simply because issues fall under another level of government," Anderson told council. Anderson directed heavy criticism toward "housing first" and harm reduction initiatives, calling current strategies ineffective and harmful to both individuals and the surrounding community. Anderson went further, dismissing harm reduction as "harm postponement," that ignores broader societal impacts. "I am not going to debate the pros and cons of harm reduction, but overdose rates are down in B.C.