One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has criticised Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) after Australian swimmers were warned not to publicly thank mining billionaire Gina Rinehart during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, arguing athletes should be free to acknowledge a benefactor who has backed the sport for decades.

The dispute erupted after it emerged that Australian swimmers had been instructed not to mention Rinehart in television interviews or on social media while representing the Australian team at the Games. According to reports, athletes were advised that publicly acknowledging the Hancock Prospecting executive chair during the competition could place them in breach of team agreements governing sponsor recognition.

Hanson said the direction was difficult to justify given Rinehart’s long-standing financial support for Australian swimming and the significant role that support has played in helping elite athletes remain in the sport.

“They should be able to thank whoever they like,” Hanson said, describing the reported restrictions as unfair to both the athletes and Rinehart. She argued that the billionaire had consistently invested in Australian swimmers when elite competitors often struggled to secure sufficient financial backing.

The intervention adds another political voice to a controversy that has rapidly expanded beyond sport into a broader debate about sponsorship, athlete expression and the balance between commercial obligations and personal gratitude.

At the centre of the dispute is Gina Rinehart’s latest incentive program for Australia’s swimming team competing in Glasgow.

Through Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart announced privately funded performance bonuses for Australian swimmers, including A$20,000 for an individual gold medal, A$15,000 for silver and A$10,000 for bronze. Relay swimmers are also eligible for bonuses, while world-record performances attract additional rewards of up to A$30,000 in individual events.

Depending on their results across multiple events, some of Australia’s leading swimmers could earn well into six figures under the incentive scheme.

Rinehart described the payments as a gesture of appreciation for athletes who dedicate years to representing Australia on the international stage, noting that swimming remains a sport where prize money is comparatively limited despite the enormous training commitment required to compete at the highest level.

The bonus announcement was widely welcomed within swimming circles, but it also created an awkward situation for Commonwealth Games Australia because Hancock Prospecting is not an official commercial partner of the Australian Commonwealth Games team.

Like many major international sporting organisations, CGA operates under sponsorship agreements that restrict athletes from promoting or endorsing businesses that are not official partners during designated competition periods. Such rules are intended to protect the value of sponsorship packages purchased by organisations that financially support the national team.

According to reports, Australian swimmers were reminded of those obligations before competition began and advised not to publicly acknowledge Rinehart until after the Games concluded.

Australian Chef de Mission Petria Thomas has indicated that Rinehart’s support is a private arrangement between Hancock Prospecting and Swimming Australia rather than Commonwealth Games Australia itself. While acknowledging Rinehart’s contribution to the sport, officials have maintained that athletes representing the Australian team must comply with the commercial rules attached to team membership.

Hanson rejected the reasoning, saying athletes should not be prevented from expressing genuine appreciation for someone who had invested heavily in their careers over many years.

She argued that Rinehart’s financial backing had helped Australian swimmers continue competing at an elite level and suggested simple expressions of gratitude should not be treated as commercial endorsements.

The Queensland senator’s comments are unlikely to surprise observers given her long-standing political and personal association with Rinehart.

Hanson has frequently praised the mining executive’s contribution to Australian industry, regional communities and elite sport, while the pair have appeared together publicly on numerous occasions. Their close relationship has previously attracted political scrutiny, but Hanson has consistently defended Rinehart against criticism from opponents.

The latest controversy also highlights the increasingly important role played by private philanthropy in Australian high-performance sport.

While government funding, sporting bodies and corporate sponsors provide much of the financial support for elite athletes, private benefactors have become increasingly influential in sports where direct prize money is relatively modest.

Swimming Australia has enjoyed substantial backing from Hancock Prospecting for many years, with Rinehart’s funding helping support athlete development, high-performance programs and direct athlete incentives.

Supporters argue those contributions have strengthened Australia’s position as one of the world’s leading swimming nations, particularly as athletes face rising training, travel and living costs.

Critics, however, note that international events such as the Commonwealth Games operate within complex commercial frameworks that rely on exclusive sponsorship rights. Allowing athletes to publicly promote non-official commercial partners during competition could potentially undermine agreements that help finance national teams and major sporting events.

The disagreement therefore reflects two competing principles: recognising genuine personal support while protecting the commercial arrangements that underpin elite international competition.

Former athletes and commentators have also entered the debate, with some arguing the restrictions are understandable from a contractual perspective but suggesting the issue could have been handled more flexibly given Rinehart’s long-standing contribution to Australian swimming. Others believe the controversy may have generated even greater attention than any athlete thanking Rinehart would have attracted in the first place.

As competition continues in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games Australia has not indicated any change to its position. Athletes remain expected to comply with team agreements during the Games, after which any restrictions linked to official competition obligations are expected to end.

For Hanson, however, the principle remains straightforward.

She maintains Australian athletes should be able to publicly thank individuals who have helped make their sporting success possible, particularly when that support has been provided consistently over many years and outside the official funding structures of major sporting organisations.