Cabinet minister Angus Taylor has mounted a strident self-defence as the opposition targets him again over his dealings with environment officials and alleged illegal land clearing.
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Labor and the Greens have been trying to summon support for an inquiry into Mr Taylor's conduct.
But their attempts were killed off, with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson labelling the proposed inquiry a "witch hunt" and helping the government defeat the referral 33 votes to 32 on Monday.
Mr Taylor insists he's done nothing wrong.
"There has been strong antagonism expressed from the farming community about federal and state native vegetation regulation for some time," he told parliament.
The opposition is pursuing the cabinet minister over his interest in a family company, Jam Land Pty Ltd, linked to an investigation into alleged illegal land clearing and endangered grasslands.
Its pursuit centres on a 2017 meeting with environment department officials and the office of then-environment minister Josh Frydenberg.
It was held while investigations were under way into the alleged poisoning of 30 hectares that contained the grassland on a NSW property Jam Land Pty Ltd owned.
Labor is concerned the minister didn't properly disclose his interest in the company and wants to know whether he sought to influence the endangered status of the species.
Mr Taylor said the listing of grasslands in the Southern Tablelands and Monaro regions of NSW had concerned farmers since at least 2014.
He spoke with farmers from Boorowa, Goulburn and Yass in late 2016 and early 2017 about the issue.
They told him the revised listing would halt pasture improvement and efficient weed control across the region.
"On the basis of these concerns, I sought a briefing on the revised listing from the then minister's office, which I made clear was not to include any discussion of compliance matters," Mr Taylor said.
"At no time during this meeting was any compliance matter or any personal interest of mine discussed.
"I have had no association with the events leading to the compliance action that has been the subject of these allegations and I have never made a representation in relation to it. I never would."
Labor environment spokesman Tony Burke said the minister had given three reasons to parliament over the past week why he sought the meeting.
"One, somebody wrote a letter six months after the meeting that was addressed to somebody else," Mr Burke summarised to parliament.
"Two, somebody wrote a letter three years before the meeting that was addressed to somebody else and, three, he had a conversation with a bloke in Yass.
"Isn't the only consistent interest here his own?"
Mr Taylor dismissed the question, saying it showed "the disdain (Labor members) have for the farmers of Australia".
The minister said he had declared his interests completely in accordance with existing rules.
He argued any attempt to force the disclosure of "minority, non-controlling interests held at three levels down in a family company structure" would be a major change to the current practice.
Australian Associated Press
