Sums this situation up nicely.
It is more than that, actually.
The NDP of BC and Alberta and the federal liberals each took turns giving approval, then throwing up a regulatory block to stop. There only had to be one at a time, so the other two could spend the time claiming they approved it and that work would get started.
As far as I’m concerned it was a conspiracy between the three governments so nobody would seem to share the blame for it.