Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt has told a Victorian court he was approached by Sophie Mirabella to "get our evidence right" regarding claims the former Liberal MP pushed her political rival, Cathy McGowan, at an election event.

Mr Wyatt was a key witness in a civil case brought by Mrs Mirabella against the Benalla Ensign newspaper, published in Victoria's north-east, which ran a story in the lead-up to the 2016 federal election, saying Ms McGowan, an independent, was pushed out of a photo opportunity at an aged care home.

At the time Mrs Mirabella was contesting the rural seat of Indi, which she lost to Ms McGowan in 2013.

Mr Wyatt was attending the event.

"As a minister, if requested I tend to have a photo with the sitting member," he told the civil jury trial, which is being held at the County Court in Wangaratta.

Mr Wyatt said he was approached by Mrs Mirabella, who had heard Ms McGowan was seeking a photo.

He said she had not wanted him to take the picture, as it could give her legitimacy as a "Liberal-lite" candidate.

"[Mrs Mirabella] moved around in front of me, put her hands on my chest and asked that I don't [allow the photo] because it would legitimise an alliance to the Liberal party," Mr Wyatt said.

He told the court Mrs Mirabella held her hands on his chest for about a minute.

Mirabella 'wanted to get evidence right': Wyatt

Mr Wyatt told the court he was approached by Mrs Mirabella twice during the Liberal party's federal council meeting in Sydney in June 2017 — two months after Mrs Mirabella launched her defamation suit.

"She said we have to get our evidence right," Mr Wyatt told the court.

The newspaper reported Sophie Mirabella (L) pushed Cathy McGowan (R) at a local event. ( ABC News )

"I said, 'I'm a JP [Justice of the Peace] and it's inappropriate'."

Last week the court heard Mrs Mirabella secretly recorded the first conversation. On Monday, that tape was played in court.

During the six-and-a-half-minute conversation, the pair discussed the incident several times. Mrs Mirabella said she put her hands on his shoulders.

"No it was on my chest," Mr Wyatt said on a number of occasions during the recording.

Mr Wyatt spent 25 minutes on the witness stand.

The record was made "unbeknownst" to Mr Wyatt, the court heard.

When her testimony resumed, Mrs Mirabella was asked about comments she allegedly made, saying that she wanted to get the "evidence right" — and she rejected them.

"It was my job to convince him why it was politically unwise [to take the photo]," she said.

"I told him he shouldn't have the photo with her as it would perpetuate the myth that she was close to the Liberal Party when she wasn't."

Mirabella denies seeking 'revenge' on local paper

During at times testy interactions with David Gilbertson, QC, who is representing the Benalla Ensign, and then-editor Libby Price, Mrs Mirabella said again and again the she did not push Ms McGowan.

She also said Mr Wyatt had told her that he "didn't see me push anyone".

The Benalla Ensign newspaper has denied the report was defamatory. ( ABC News: Karen Percy )

Mr Gilbertson accused Mrs Mirabella of blaming the paper for her loss at the 2016 election.

The day after the article was published, Mrs Mirabella took part in a televised debate, where she told the audience that Wangaratta Hospital had missed out on $10 million in funding when Ms McGowan had been elected three years earlier.

Federal ministers at the time, including Treasurer Scott Morrison and then-health minister Sussan Ley, denied that that was the case.

Mrs Mirabella told the court the funding was a personal pledge, and she made the comments when she was upset because of the "allegation I assaulted Ms McGowan".

"I take responsibility for not being prepared, for being upset and not explaining myself properly," she told the court.

Mr Gilbertson told the court the article about pushing Ms McGowan was "swamped by [the] publicity" from Ms Mirabella's comments about the hospital.

Mrs Mirabella denied she wanted to extract revenge on the Benalla Ensign.

"I blame them for spreading a lie, I don't blame them for the election result. I blame them for causing me damage," she said.

"The election campaign was over. I had moved on in my professional life but I had not moved on from the lie that I pushed a woman."

Of the secret recording of Mr Wyatt, Mrs Mirabella told the court: "I just wanted him to repeat what he'd said to me before".

"I needed some evidence to show my lawyers that the [newspaper's defence] was rubbish," he said.

The newspaper admitted it got the story wrong but denied the story was defamatory.

The hearing before judge Michael MacNamara continues.