Whatever the reason, the ACT government's terse and dismissive response to Maxine Cooper's scathing audit into its handling of the deal displayed an arrogance and sheer lack of responsibility insulting to the Canberrans who have had their money carelessly spent.

Reading Planning Minister Mick Gentleman's grumpy reply to the report on Thursday, anyone could be forgiven for thinking the auditor-general had delved frivolously into a matter undeserving of scrutiny. He has mischaracterised both the severity of her findings and their meaning for the government.

"This report puts the matter to bed," he said. In truth, it does anything but. Mr Gentleman also claims it finds no evidence of wrong-doing by ACT government officials. Not true. It details clearly the outrageously sloppy carriage of a deal that, by indications Dr Cooper found, should have delivered greater value for taxpayers.

Above all, a report with such import for the way the government handles public money, and that adds to misgivings about how it buys and sells land, should not have passed without extensive comment by Chief Minister Andrew Barr. This is perhaps the greatest slap in the face. He was, after all, the minister overseeing the directorate that Dr Cooper found has fumbled the Dickson deal.

Her findings are serious. Competition was possibly limited by a failure to advertise in a national newspaper. The government's Economic Development Directorate pressed on with selling land to the union-linked Tradies Club despite material changes being made during negotiations at odds with the request for tender. These changes increased the value of the land entering the club's hands, but the directorate didn't revise its price accordingly.

At a potentially large cost to Canberrans, too. The audit report found that the sale of Block 30, Section 34 Dickson to the club meant taxpayers missed out on between $1.57 million to $1.82 million in potential revenue.

Dr Cooper recommends sweeping changes to the way the government handles such transactions, reforms the ACT government says it's already made following a separate but blistering Audit Office report into its city and lake land deals.

The proof will emerge in future land sales and purchases, but given questions about the government's decision to buy $7.5 million worth of rural land at Mount Stromlo shortly before the Land Development Agency disbanded, there is reason to wonder whether the government has taken any of these criticisms to heart.

Mr Gentleman was right on one point. The auditor did not establish any wrong-doing on the part of any ministers over the Dickson land deal. But they nevertheless have a duty to set a standard for their directorates. The government could start now with a response to the auditor's report that gives due respect to its constituents, and the money they trust it to spend carefully.