Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm has failed in a bid to allow hunters to bring lion trophies back to Australia.
Senator Leyonhjelm, a gun enthusiast, moved on Wednesday to overturn a ban on imports of all lion specimens, which was put in place in March in reaction to canned hunting.
Canned hunting involves lions being bred in captivity before being released from a cage, sometimes drugged, and shot by hunters. There is no chance of the beast escaping.
Senator Leyonhjelm argued the ban was misguided and ill-informed as canned hunting is illegal in many parts of Africa, suggesting there are few potential imports from this practice.
He said hunting in general supports conservation efforts.
"This is ministerial overreach in a most authoritarian manner," he told the Senate on Wednesday.
"Disapproval is not a basis for government policy and governments have to accept the fact that people don't want them interfering in their lives."
But there is no way to determine if lion trophies brought into Australia are obtained through canned hunting or by more responsible means.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt has labelled canned hunting cruel and barbaric.
Labor senator Lisa Singh referred to the outcry over an American dentist who killed popular lion Cecil in Zimbabwe in July, saying it is likely at least a dozen lions have been shot since then.
"A century ago there were some 200,000 African lions prowling the savanna," she said.
"Now there are as few as 32,000 left."
But Nationals senator John Williams said that despite finding Cecil's death and canned hunting disgraceful, he does not believe the ban is the right way to regulate overseas hunting.
The ban takes money out of local communities and its immediate effect stops Australians bringing in animals that have already been hunted and are in the process of being quarantined.
Senator Williams, a former shearer, did not cross the floor but maintained people have the right to hunt legally overseas.
"It's something I don't want to do, nor would ever do," he told the Senate.
"But people do go trophy hunting.
"I have shot many foxes and wild pigs in my days and will continue to do so."
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