Good questions Golf. I believe the issue is the latest set of FN's comments regarding the mining traffic thru FN communities along the routes to Schaft. It will take time to hear out their issues, study the issues and respond/mitigate. Also the fact that the mine plan was only so recently completed, there was that gaping hole in the EA application.
The Morrison lake project simply got axed due to the FN's and enviro issues combined and maybe in the context the gov wanting to not look 'brown' in the looming election. It might also be a bit of over-compensation related to the province giving the go-ahead for Prosperity I and getting egg on their face when the Feds rejected it. I really dont' see those issues at SC.