Attorney-General George Brandis has defended the eye-watering legal bills Australian taxpayers will be made to pay for the dual citizenship palaver.
Taxpayers will reportedly fork out upwards of $130,000 a day on barristers for each day of the High Court case, with overall costs expected to total more than $2 million.
"As for the costs, I think most people would accept there is a very important public interest here in getting this section of the constitution right," Senator Brandis told Sydney's 2GB radio.
"It is the practice - and it's been a longstanding practice - that when there is a very important matter of constitutional principle at issue then the commonwealth pays the costs."
The High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, heard final legal arguments on Thursday afternoon after three days of hearings.
The full bench will return on Tuesday, with the seven current and former federal politicians facing an anxious wait.
Senator Brandis highlighted one area of savings when asked whether he should have gone into bat for his coalition colleagues under a constitutional cloud.
"As a matter of fact we've got a very competent solicitor-general, Dr Stephen Donaghue QC, and he didn't charge a thing because he gets a salary," the attorney-general said.
Barnaby Joyce and his Nationals colleagues Fiona Nash and Matt Canavan have argued they should be spared the court's wrath.
So too have crossbench senator Nick Xenophon and One Nation's Malcolm Roberts.
But the lawyer for former Greens senators Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters says the pair were right to resign and argued the other five ought to follow suit.
Senator Brandis refused to speculate about what the High Court outcome might be.
"I'm a barrister myself, I've appeared before the High Court in my earlier life. That's the last thing you'll get me to do."
Chief Justice Susan Kiefel has noted a decision needs to be handed down as soon as possible, with or without reasons.
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