Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she won't negotiate with the independents at this stage to get the flood levy through parliament.

Ms Gillard announced the one-off levy on Thursday, but she's yet to win over the coalition or get the full support of key independents.

While flood victims and the low paid will be exempt, a one-off levy of 0.5 per cent will apply to taxable income in 2011/12 between $50,001 and $100,000, and a one per cent levy to taxable income above $100,000.

The future of the legislation will rest with the independents, some of whom demand a long-term fund for natural disaster responses.

Ms Gillard said Queenslanders needed help now and there was no time for negotiations.

"We've got a package that we believe is the right package. We want to get it through parliament ... as quickly as possible so the commissioner of tax and businesses can all make their arrangements for the forthcoming tax year," she said.

"I'll certainly be talking to parliamentarians, including the independents. But our message to them is that this is the right package. Let's get on with the job."

She said there would be time, in due course, for a conversation about possible long-term funding, but the levy was the right way forward for now.

"We are a nation that, unfortunately, very regularly sees fire and floods and other forms of natural disasters. And, in the ordinary course, we can deal with them through our normal natural disaster arrangement. What's been different this time is the sheer size, scale and economic cost of the floods, in Queensland particularly," she said.

The prime minister has little hope of wining over Opposition Leader Tony Abbott before parliament resumes on February 8.

She hit out at Mr Abbott saying his main reason for objection is because the legislation is a Labor idea.

"I understand Mr Abbott's instinct ..." to always contradict the government's position, she said, "but it really doesn't have to be like that".

"Now is the time to be looking at the national interest, not his political interest."

When Labor was in opposition it agreed to the Timor levy and the gun buyback scheme, she said.

Ms Gillard said she'd brief all parliamentarians on the proposal when they returned to Canberra.

Queensland premier Anna Bligh said now was the time for bipartisan support.

"It is just impossible for any one level of government to overcome the scale and dimension of this disaster," Ms Bligh told reporters.

"I'm very disappointed that Tony Abbott doesn't think Queenslanders are worth making this contribution."

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/gillard-starts-flood-levy-sell-20110130-1a9hg.html