Federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has taken the stand in a long-running defamation trial brought about by a Perth property developer, claiming he was concerned the West Australian government was going to use the Peel region as a “dumping ground for toxic soil”.

But he denied was seeking to “make political capital” by taking information he had obtained regarding the plan, which involved the McGowan Labor Government, and relaying it to a journalist from this masthead.

Hastie said he had been sent a covert recording of a meeting, held at the Subiaco Hotel in 2019, between a local businessman and then-deputy chairman of the Peel Development Commission Greg Poland.

Poland has brought defamation action against WAtoday over two stories that were written based on that recording.

That businessman, Aaron Grainger, had organised a meeting at Hastie’s office to discuss Indigenous business opportunities in the region – namely regarding a sand mining operation in the Myalup State Forest.

During that meeting, Hastie claimed Grainger had asked him for a private conversation, which is when he revealed Poland had offered him a way to obtain the Myalup operation, in exchange for giving the state government a place to dump between two and eight million tonnes of “toxic” soil from one of its Metronet projects.

Hastie then asked Grainger to see the recording, and said parts of it were played to him during the meeting, including a section where Poland tells another person at the table to stop taking notes.

Grainger also sent the audio to Hastie, who provided evidence he had then sent a WhatsApp message to Nathan Hondros, a former journalist at WAtoday, containing the recording.

While giving his evidence earlier in the week, Grainger said he told Hastie he would only send him the audio under the proviso he would not send it to anyone else, and that Hastie had agreed to that.

Grainger said Hastie had then “obviously sneakily” sent it on to one of his most senior members of staff Claire Bradley.

Hastie said he did not remember making that promise to Grainger. He said Grainger had told him he had already sent the recording on to a journalist in Melbourne, as well as his lawyers, and that he was “elevating it to me as his Federal MP”.

He said he had believed the contents were in the public interest, and in the interest of the region and its stakeholders.

“I thought it was of concern,” Hastie said.

He added that he had chosen to send it to Hondros given he was a “balanced journalist” with knowledge of the region as a former local journalist in the area, and his knowledge of politics as a former employee of the Labor Party.

“I told Nathan what I heard [in the recording], I said ‘mate you know the Labor Party inside out, what is going on here?’,” Hastie recalled.

“The relationship was professional, Nathan didn’t take direction. I thought if there was a story there he would run it.”

During crossexamination by Poland’s lawyer Martin Bennett, Hastie was questioned over whether he had been the one to send the audio file to Hondros, as opposed to it being David Birch, Hastie’s media advisor, who sent it.

Bennett also quizzed Hastie on conversations he had with former WA Liberal Leader Zak Kirkup.

Poland’s lawyer alleged the conversations were about the story and the recording, with one call made directly after the meeting with Grainger, but Hastie said he could not remember.

“I can’t remember accurately what I said on the phone 7½ years ago,” Hastie said.

Bennett also pushed Hastie on his political motivations behind releasing the recording.

“You thought it would be of political benefit to you, didn’t you?,” Bennett asked, to which Hastie responded: “No”.

A bid to play a radio interview involving Hastie that aired in March 2019, following the publication of the original stories, that Bennett claimed proved Hastie was acting out of political interest was rejected by the judge.

Former Transport Minister and now Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti and former Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan are mentioned directly in the recording.

Poland can be heard claiming that “they will come straight to you once you’ve done one favour”.

“Once you’ve done one favour, they’ll ring you and they’ll steamroll anything through,” he tells Grainger.

“Rita will just push it through. Alannah and Rita will just steamroll it. They’ll just steamroll it.

“If we could pull this off, whatever you want, Rita would be your friend.”

References are also made to then-Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly, with Poland claiming an attempt to increase WA’s lobster catch had been his plan, but that Kelly had botched it.

Kelly is expected to take the stand on Thursday afternoon, followed by other ministers.