Prime Minister John Howard has spoken out against an ACT law which allows homosexual couples to adopt children.
Federal cabinet was reported to be considering overturning the law, which was passed last month by the ACT Legislative Assembly.
The federal parliament has the power to override territory laws and in 1997 overturned a Northern Territory law which legalised voluntary euthanasia.
Mr Howard said he did not support the ACT gay adoption law.
"I don't support gay adoption, no," Mr Howard told the John Laws radio program.
"I'm against gay adoption, just as I'm against gay marriage.
"I think there are certain benchmark institutions and arrangements in our society that you don't muck around with.
"Children ideally should be brought up by a mother and a father who are married. That's the ideal."
Mr Howard said he knew unmarried couples could be good and loving parents, but the best conditions for children were to be raised by married parents.
"I believe in the maximum conditions of stability for people who have children," he said.
"I think it is incredibly important that people have role models of both sexes."
Mr Howard has previously written to the ACT's Labor Chief Minister Jon Stanhope expressing concerns about gay adoption and the territory's bill of rights.
Mr Stanhope said he believed Mr Howard was bluffing and would not intervene to overturn ACT laws.
"I can't believe that the prime minister would seriously think it appropriate for the Commonwealth to intervene in the ACT's affairs to overturn some fairly basic human rights legislation," Mr Stanhope told ABC radio.
Federal Labor leader Mark Latham has said he will oppose any move to overturn the gay adoption law.
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