Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia has apologised for his reaction over a satirical Facebook post.

It all started on Wednesday evening, when a post making fun of the fact that Farrugia’s parents often step in to defend the minister was published on the Bis-Serjeta` Facebook page.

Farrugia replied on Twitter and Instagram, outing the author of the piece, who goes by the name Karl Stennienibarra, as Matt Bonanno, and urging him to find a “proper job.”

Enter the outspoken chairman of the National Book Council, Mark Camilleri, who told the minister off and said what the author was doing was better than the minister’s PR events.

Insults were traded, with Camilleri jokingly asking the minister to give him a half a million-euro direct order to water plants. This was in reference to the Luqa green wall that dried out due to “an irrigation problem.”

Farrugia then threatened to sue Camilleri for libel.

The minister then turned back to Bonanno and told him “what I will never delete are your mum's comments… wink wink.”

Bonanno replied, “In my 10 years of doing this, no politician - PN or Labour - has ever named me. I guess they all have thicker skin than you. Now go ask mummy and daddy to leave you some heart reacts. And no, I won't be deleting this cos I want everyone to see what a baby you are.”

Bis-Serjeta` then uploaded an edited photo showing Farrugia as a baby, with the caption: “someone needs a child lock on his phone.”

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Farrugia apologised saying there was no jusficiation for his reaction. He said he would not act in the same way again, even if there will undoubtedly be more satirical posts about him in the future.

Farrugia said he had spoken to the two people involved and cleared the air, adding that he will always support artists. He closed off his post by tagging his mother and telling her that, ideally she should not comment on his post.

His apology was accepted by Stennienibarra.